THE YAK IN LATE SPRING

Spring arrived later than usual this year. Rain was scarce, and the hills stubbornly remained brown. Nomads watched anxiously as clouds gathered, only to be scattered by the wind. Eventually, rain fell in fits and starts, accompanied by flurries of snow that settled on the high hills. By mid-June, the landscape had cautiously turned green, deepening as the rain continued. 

The yeko, or newborn yaks, are now three months old. They run and play in small groups, appearing as dark dots darting across the hills. Meanwhile, their mothers graze leisurely on the new shoots. The size of a mastiff, these babies are a dark, curly brown, and their tails wag up and down as they frolic, sometimes confusing inexperienced onlookers into thinking they are large dogs. 

As June comes to an end, the migration to the late spring pastures will begin. The herders, who cared for their animals from their winter homes, will start preparing to move to a more mobile dwelling, such as an army tent or a sprawling black tent made of yak hair.

They will pack folded tents, poles needed for support, pots, pans, blankets, and wooden trunks onto one or several blue camels and lead their herds to higher pastures. The youngest yaks will follow their mothers, joyfully playing and gallivanting along the way.